Upcoming Family-Friendly Theatre, Music & Dance Events

Taking the family to attend a play, concert or dance performance is such a fun experience. It’s really thrilling to engage in storytelling, music and magic that comes from live productions. This fall and early winter, there are many awesome theatre, symphony and arts events scheduled in Austin. Here’s a roundup of what’s coming soon so you can mark your calendars and get your tickets in advance.

Rap Unzel @ Outdoor Stage at The VORTEX
When: Saturdays & Sundays through October 31
About: Reginald “RAP” Unzel is a young man with big hair and bigger dreams of musical stardom… IF only he can get out of his room. This celebration of identity, awareness, and empowerment features Hip Hop music and dance. Great for all ages! To keep audiences and performers safe and comfortable, we are having the show outside and folks are seated at tables of 2, 4, or 6 with their families and loved ones.
Tickets: Tickets start at $9.99, available here.

Photo from the Vortex Theatre’s Facebook page, photo credit: Errich Petersen Photography

Grease @ Georgetown Palace Theatre
When: Now through October 31
About: Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s musical masterpiece will be playing in the Georgetown Palace Theatre for the entire month of October. Go back to Rydell High to watch Greaser Danny and good-girl Sandy figure out love, peer pressure, and high school.
Tickets: $36 (varies on age), available here

Into the Woods @ ZACH Theatre
(recommended for ages 13+)
When: Now through November 7
About: Stephen Sondheim’s fairytale masterpiece plays outside on the People’s Plaza at ZACH in a contemporary, re-imagined interpretation, using the architecture and landscaping as the backdrop. The plaza will transform into the woods and envelop the audience as Rapunzel lets down her hair from the Topfer balcony, Cinderella loses her slipper on the stairs, and the Milky White cow sculpture moos to life with Jack and his Beanstalk. All of the Giants wrestled in 2020 are there too, but with the assurance that “No One Is Alone” and there is light ahead.
Tickets: $25 & up, available here

Into the Woods, Photo by Suzanne Cordeiro

Back to the Future in Concert @ Long Center
When: October 23, 2021
About: Power up your DeLorean Time Machine and get ready to celebrate this movie classic in a way you’ll never forget. Be able to watch Back to the Future and experience the thrill of listening to the Austin Symphony Orchestra play Alan Silverstri’s score live with an extra twenty minutes of brand new music added. Watch Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) travel to the past, present and future, setting off a time-shattering chain reaction that disrupts the space-time continuum!
Tickets: $19 & up, available here

Halloween Children’s Concert @ Long Center
When: October 24, 2021
About: This concert’s main feature will be from the fairy tale opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck. Bernadette Nason will narrate the story of Hansel and Gretel, a brother and sister abandoned in a forest, where they fall into the hands of a witch who lives in a house made of gingerbread, cake, and pastries. The witch intends to fatten the children before eventually eating them, but Gretel outwits the witch. The two children then escape with their lives and return home with the witch’s treasure. Come dressed in costumes to get into the spooky mood!
Tickets: $10-$15, available here

Austin Symphony Orchestra

Ballet Hispánico @ Bass Concert Hall
When: October 30, 2021
About: Ballet Hispánico brings communities together to celebrate and explore Latinx cultures through innovative dance performances, transformative dance training, and enduring community engagement experiences. The program will include: Arabesque (1984) – choreography by Vicente Nebrada music by Enrique Granados, Tiburones (2019) – choreography by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, with music by Pérez Prado, Dizzy Gillespie, and The Funky Lowlives, and 18+1 (2012) – choreography by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, with music by Pérez Prado.
Tickets: $40 & up, available here

Rosita y Conchita @ Austin Scottish Rite Theater
When: Now streaming on demand
About: Rosita y Conchita is a Día de los Muertos bilingual play about two sisters who try to reunite on the Day of the Dead. Along the way Rosita keeps getting lost, but she miraculously finds her way to Conchita through familiar sounds and images. Based on the award-winning children’s book Rosita y Conchita by Erich Haeger and Eric González.
Tickets: Stream the show for $15 online here.

Rosita y Conchita – Streaming Show

Miss Pumpelhouse is Missing! Streaming from Pollyanna Theatre
When: November 15 – December 21
About: For 1st-3rd graders, this real-time, interactive experience is sure to entertain the entire classroom! Miss Pumpelhouse is everyone’s favorite teacher, but on the day of the big class party, she suddenly goes missing! Luckily, her smart students are on the case. Creating their own scenes through mad libs, each child will act out a part in this fun, interactive mystery. The crazier the suggestions, the better!
Tickets: (for classrooms only) Reserve tickets now here

A Christmas Carol @ ZACH Theatre
When: November 17 – January 2
About: After a year and a half, Austin’s hottest holiday tradition is BACK, with all-new music and surprises to ring in the season. ZACH’s singular adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a musical sleigh ride through rhythm and time, infusing the traditional Victorian story with a score that spans all genres and eras. This family-friendly spectacular creates an infectious spirit that has everyone dancing in the aisles. Celebrate the season with the loving Cratchit family and three soulful ghosts as they take Ebenezer Scrooge on a joyride to rediscover his heart and love for human kindness.
Tickets: $25 & up, tickets available here

A Christmas Carol at ZACH Theatre, photo by Kirk Tuck

Elf: The Musical @ Georgetown Palace Theatre
When: November 19 – December 30
About: Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh realities that his father is on the naughty list and his half-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Tickets: $36 (varies on age), available here

The Nutcracker by Ballet Austin @ Long Center
When: December 4-23
About: From the scrumptious sets and costumes to the colorful characters you adore, Ballet Austin’s annual production of The Nutcracker is one of Austin’s favorite holiday tradition! Hundreds of dancers perform Stephen Mills’ enchanting choreography to Peter Tchaikovsky’s magical score with live accompaniment from Austin Symphony Orchestra.
Tickets: $29 & up, available here

The Nutcracker; photo by Anne Marie Bloodgood

The Elf on Shelf: A Christmas Musical @ H-E-B Center at Cedar Park
When: December 10
About: The Elf on the Shelf: The Musical is the thrilling spectacle of music and dance that transports audiences to the North Pole to glimpse the magical lives of Santa’s Scout Elves. Featuring an original story and score, dazzling sets and costumes, and heartfelt moments that will bring the family together, this joyous and uplifting celebration will leave audiences captivated by the splendor of the season.
Tickets: $29.95 each, available here

Lightwire Theatre’s A Very Electric Christmas @ H-E-B Center at Cedar Park
When: December 24
About: Audiences of all ages will treasure this magical and captivating tale of family, friendship, and hope set to timeless holiday hits including Nat King Cole, Mariah Carey, and Tchaikovsky. In this wonderful story, Santa’s helpers are putting the final touches on presents as a young bird named Max and his family head south for the winter. When Max gets blown off course during a snowstorm, he ends up alone and lost at the North Pole. As he tries to make his way home, his adventure begins when he encounters friendly caroling worms, dancing poinsettias, Nutcracker soldiers, mischievous mice, and an evil Rat King. This delightful holiday production will make children wide-eyed with delight and warm even the smallest of hearts.
Tickets: $20 each, tickets available here

A Charlie Brown Christmas @ Paramount and Stateside Theatres
When: December 12
About: Join the Austin Chamber Music Center for a live concert of all of your favorite tunes from the holiday classic! Celebrate the season with the original Charlie Brown music of Vince Guaraldi featuring pianist Michelle Schumann, bassist Utah Hamrick, drummer David Sierra, and special guests—plus, the chance to meet Snoopy in the lobby! Bring your family to this Austin tradition and get in the holiday spirit!
Tickets: $22 & up, tickets available here

Cirque Musica Holiday Spectacular @ H-E-B Cedar Park Center
When: December 27
About: This all-new production features some of the greatest holiday songs of all time performed with the world-renowned cast of Cirque Musica. Experience the chills, thrills, and excitement of the best Cirque performers from around the world.
Tickets: $38 & up, available here

Photo from the Cirque Musica Facebook page

We hope you enjoy these productions!